Bahrain issued its first nationwide threat alert in months on Sunday as explosions were reported across the kingdom and Iran's Revolutionary Guard claimed drone strikes on a Bahraini military base that hosts American helicopters, in a sharp escalation of the war spreading across the Gulf.
Naval Support Activity Bahrain, home of the headquarters of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet. Photo: U.S. Naval Forces Central Command / U.S. Fifth Fleet, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Alert Tells Residents to Seek Safety
Bahrain's Interior Ministry urged citizens and residents to remain calm and proceed to the nearest safe location, and to follow developments through official channels. The ministry issued alerts of a potential threat twice on Sunday morning, and sirens sounded as the warnings went out, according to regional news reports.
The National reported that explosions were heard across the kingdom on Sunday morning. The Iran-aligned Sabereen News channel said on Telegram that the sounds of explosions were still being heard in Bahrain in the morning, attributing them to an Iranian drone attack on US targets.
Iran Claims a Second Phase of Retaliation
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said late on Saturday that it had launched six drones towards a US air defence radar installation at Bahrain's Riffa helicopter base, describing the operation as the second phase of its retaliation against the United States. Iran's Fars news agency reported that the Revolutionary Guard had carried out attacks on US bases in Bahrain.
Washington has not yet confirmed the latest reported attacks, and the claims have not been independently verified. The distinction matters: on Friday, the US Central Command said it had intercepted two Iranian one-way attack drones heading towards Bahrain, with no injuries or damage reported, and it denied an earlier Revolutionary Guard claim that a US early warning radar in Bahrain had been destroyed.
Bahrain hosts the headquarters of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet, making the island kingdom a key centre for American military operations in the Gulf — and a prime target in Iran's campaign against US forces in the region.
Saudi Arabia Intercepts Missiles Aimed at Riyadh
At the same time, Saudi Arabia's air defences intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels towards the capital, Riyadh, the Saudi-led coalition said on Sunday. The coalition said it had also shot down three Houthi drones over Saudi Arabia's eastern region in as many hours.
The interceptions came a day after the Houthis claimed drone strikes on Riyadh airport and a Saudi oil pipeline, and as the war's front widened further across the Gulf.
Pressure Builds on a Fragile Pause
The escalation comes as Gulf Arab states are pressing for an end to the attacks. On Friday, the Gulf Cooperation Council demanded at the United Nations Security Council that Iran pay full compensation for damage from more than 7,000 missiles and drones fired at Gulf states since February 28, hitting airports, ports, oil and gas facilities, power stations and homes.
President Donald Trump told senior advisers on Friday that he may hold off on further military strikes against Iran unless Tehran or its allies provoke the United States, according to reports. But with Iran now claiming strikes on a base hosting US helicopters, Bahrain sounding its first nationwide alert in months, and missiles still flying towards Riyadh, the pause both sides have been edging towards looks more fragile than ever.
Sources: The National, Al Jazeera, Khaleej Times.